Power transmitting apparatus



June 2, 1959 A. STARTS POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Jan. 4, 1951 m Y A I WM WA R WIIHN NW1 n dw I; ll a H Ill HU a Mm mill I Z Y I Inventor.- x/ Albert Starts A} 7 g f AttornevsJune 2, 1959 A. STARTS 2,888,838

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POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS V Original Filed Jan. 4, 1951 3Sheets-Sheet 3 w Ill In ven tor: Albert Starts by J j I: 2 jrtzrn eysPOWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS Albert Starts, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Original application January 4, 1951, Serial No. 204,294, now Patent No.2,695,602, dated November 30, 1954. Divided and this application January29, 1954, Serial No. 407,064

7 Claims. (Cl. 74-606) This invention relates to a power transmittingapparatus for a power apparatus that includes a casing, a rotatableshaft therein and a driving member driven by the shaft and adapted tomake driving contact with an object that is movable relative to thispower apparatus.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.204,294, filed January 4, 1951.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of such a powerapparatus for this type of device and comprising a removable supportingmember extending generally laterally of the shaft into which the shaftextends, the driving member being operatively held on the supportingmember at a point spaced from the shaft, gearing mounted on thesupporting member interconnecting the rotatable shaft and the drivingmember and a hearing structure for the shaft mounted on the supportingmember and removable therewith.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a powertransmitting apparatus for an engine adapted to be mounted on a wheeledvehicle and including a pair of spaced depending arms on opposite sidesof the center of gravity of the engine structure for rotatably mountingthe same on the vehicle, a casing, a rotatable shaft therein and adriving member driven by the shaft and adapted to make driving contactwith a wheel on the vehicle for propelling the vehicle. This powertransmitting apparatus comprises a supporting member including a housingdivided longitudinally into inner and outer parts enclosing a hollowspace therebetween, the supporting member extending generally laterallyof the shaft and forwardly of the engine with the shaft extending intosaid hollow space, a second shaft having one end extending into saidhollow space at a point spaced from said first shaft, the other end ofthe second shaft carrying the driving member and being positionedgenerally forwardly of the space bounded by said supporting arms, afirst gear in said hollow space mounted on the first shaft for rotationtherewith, a second gear in said hollow space mounted on the secondshaft and meshing with the first gear for rotation of the second shaftand thus the driving member, and a bearing for said first shaftpositioned in said outer part of the housing outwardly of the firstgear.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of one embodiment of the invention taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an internalcombustion engine that includes one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the engine of Figure 1 partiallyin section and partially broken away for clarity of illustration.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation partially broken away for clarity ofillustration taken substantially along line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially alongline 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the power Patented June 2,1959 2 transmitting apparatus taken substantially along line 5-5 ofFigure 2.

The engine herein to be disclosed as an exemphfication of my inventionis designed particularly for application to a bicycle which it drives bymeans of a friction wheel or driving member which is arranged to engagethe tread of the pneumatic tire of one of the two Wheels of the bicycle,the engine being pivotally mounted so as to have capacity for rockingmovement to advance its friction wheel toward or away from the tiretread, so as to engage therewith or disengage therefrom.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 5, the engine embodies base or casing Bforming a compression chamber a comprising a crank case opening at oneend upon a coaxial cam case of lesser diameter and on the other end toreceive a closure cap which is secured to the base B as by bolts 38.Mounted on the base B is a cylinder C conventionally secured in place asby bolts 25, and open at its top end where a surmounting closure head His affixed thereto by bolts 26.

The end of the base B opposite the closure cap 37 is open so that theshaft S may extend therethrough and outwardly therebeyond. To the openend of the base is secured a power transmitting apparatus including ahollow housing here shown as a gear casing comprising inboard andoutboard sections or parts and 81 interconnected as by bolts 82, theinboard section 80 being connected to the base by bolts 83. Theanti-friction bearing unit 72 which supports the shaft S is accommodatedwithin a seat provided interiorly of the outboard section 81 where it issecured in place by a plate 85 with the aid of a nut 86 that is screwedonto a threaded portion 87 of the shaft. An outer covering plate 88 isalso carried by the outboard section 81 to which it is secured as byscrews 89, thereby assuring retention of the inner plate 85 in place.

Mounted fast upon the shaft S within the chamber or hollow spaceprovided by the two casing sections 80 and 81 is a first gear 94. Aspacer sleeve which surrounds the shaft S extends between this gear andthe packing unit 75 and is maintained against rotation by any suitablemeans. The gear 94 is in mesh with a second gear 96 which is alsoaccommodated within the same chamher in a lateral extension thereof (seeFig. 3). The gear 96 is mounted fast on a stub or second shaft 98 oneend of which is supported rotatively in an antifriction bearing unit 97that is mounted within a hollow boss 99 extended laterally from theoutboard casing section 81. On the opposite side of the gear 96 a secondantifriction bearing unit 100 is also provided for support thereof, thisbearing unit being accommodated within a circular flange 101 that isextended laterally from the inboard casing section 80. The shaft 98which is extended past the hearing unit 100 supports on its outer endportion a hollow friction wheel or driving member W open at one end andclosed at its other end by a wall 103 which joins with a hub 104 that issecured fast to the shaft 98. As by means of a washer 105 and a nut 106that is screwed onto threads 107 formed upon the shaft 98, the frictionWheel W is retained securely in place.

Depending from the cap 37 is an ear or depending arm 110 opposite asimilar ear or depending arm 111 which depends from the outboard casingsection 81. Aligned openings in these ears are fitted with bushings 112and 113, respectively, for reception of pivot pins (not shown) formingpart of a mounting whereon the engine may be tiltably supported. Such amounting may be advantage ously used on a bicycle or other wheeledcarrier which is to be powered by the engine herein disclosed. Amagneto-flywheel 115 is carried by the shaft S outwardly of the bearingunit 72 and secured fixedly in place by any appropriate means.

The power transmitting apparatus specifically claimed herein has anumber of new and unobvious advantages which give added strength,rigidity and economy of operation to the engine of this invention, whilemaintaining the total weight of the engine structure to a minimum andwhile reducing the overall cost of the engine structure. Thus, thesupporting member, including the housing formed by the inner and outerparts 80 and 81, is preferably removable and serves to enclose andproperly position the first and second gears, the bearing for the driveshaft and the second shaft upon which the driving member W is mounted.This housing extends laterally from the main body of the engine in orderto provide clearance for the driving member or friction wheel. Thispermits locating the friction wheel in any desired position relative tothe center of gravity of the engine. In the preferred structure thefriction wheel is positioned forwardly of the space bounded by thedepending mounting arms 116 and 111 and forwardly of the approximatecenter of gravity of the engine. This positioning of the friction wheelinsures that a balanced downward force of the friction wheel on the tireor similar object is achieved. The positioning of the friction wheelforwardly of the mounting arms also serves to increase the leverage soas to magnify the weight eifect of the engine on the friction wheel.

The two parts 80 and 81 of the housing permits completely enclosing thegearing and similar elements therebetween so as to prevent dirt and dustentering this gearing. It also serves to prevent the oil and grease fromthis gear contacting the vehicle or its rider.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description, unless otherwisespecified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeas set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In an engine adapted to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle and include apair of spaced depending arms on opposite sides of the center of gravityof the engine structure for rotatably mounting the same on said vehicle,a casing, a rotatable shaft therein and a driving member driven by theshaft and adapted to make driving contact with a wheel on said vehiclefor propelling the same,

power transmitting apparatus, comprising: a supporting member includinga housing divided longitudinally into inner and outer parts enclosing ahollow space therebetween, the supporting member extending generallylaterally of the shaft and forwardly of the engine with the shaftextending into said hollow space; a second shaft having one endextending into said hollow space at a point spaced from said firstshaft, the other end of the second shaft carrying the driving member andbeing positioned generally forwardly of the space bounded by saidsupporting arms; a first gear in said hollow space mounted on the firstshaft for rotation therewith; a second gear in said hollow space mountedon the second shaft and meshing with the first gear for rotation of thesecond shaft and thus the driving member; and a bearing for said firstshaft positioned in said outer part of the housing outward- 1y of thefirst gear.

2. In a power apparatus including a mounting means, a casing, arotatable shaft therein, a drive member driven by the shaft and adaptedto make driving contact with an object movable relative to said powerapparatus, power transmitting apparatus comprising: a removablesupporting member extending generally laterally of said shaft, and intowhich the shaft extends, the driving member being operatively held onthe supporting member at a point spaced from the shaft, gearing mountedon the support ing member interconnecting the rotatable shaft and thedriving member, a bearing structure for the shaft mounted on thesupporting member and removable therewith, said mounting means includinga pair of spaced arms depending from the power apparatus and the drivingmember being located forwardly of the space bounded by said arm.

3. In an engine adapted to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle and includingmounting means therefor, a casing, a rotatable shaft therein, and adrive member driven by the shaft and adapted to make driving contactwith a wheel on said vehicle for propelling the same, power transmittingapparatus comprising: a removable supporting member extending generallylaterally of the shaft and forwardly of the engine into which the shaftextends, the driving member being operatively held on the supportingmember at a point spaced from the shaft and extending to a positiongenerally forwardly of said mounting means and gearing mounted on thesupporting member interconnecting the rotatable shaft and the drivingmember, said mounting means including a pair of spaced arms dependingfrom the engine and the driving member being located forwardly of thespace bounded by said arms.

4. In a power apparatus including a casing, a rotatable shaft thereinand a driving member driven by the shaft and adapted to make drivingcontact with an object movable relative to said power apparatus, powertransmitting apparatus, comprising: a supporting member readilyremovably mounted on said casing extending generally laterally of saidshaft adjacent to one end only of said shaft and into which the shaftextends means for operatively holding the driving member on thesupporting member at a point spaced from the shaft; gearing mounted onthe supporting member interconnecting the rotatable shaft and thedriving member; a bearing structure for the shaft mounted on thesupporting member and removable therewith; and a mounting means for saidpower apparatus including an arm depending from the power apparatus, thedriving member being located forwardly of said arm.

5. In an engine adapted to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle and includingmounting means therefor, a casing, a rotatable shaft therein and adriving member driven by the shaft and adapted to make driving contactwith a wheel on said vehicle for propelling the same, power transmittingapparatus, comprising: a supporting member extending generally laterallyof the shaft adjacent to one end only of said shaft and extending to apoint forwardly of the engine and into which the shaft extends, thedriving member being operatively held on the supporting member adjacentto said forwardly extending point and spaced from the shaft; and gearingmounted on the supporting member interconnecting the rotatable shaft andthe driving member, said mounting means including an arm depending fromthe engine, the driving member being located forwardly of said arm.

6. In an engine adapted to be mounted on a wheeled vehicle and includingmounting means therefor, a casing, a rotatable shaft therein and adriving member driven by the shaft and adapted to make driving contactwith a wheel on said vehicle for propelling the same, power transmittingapparatus, comprising: a. supporting member extending generallylaterally of the shaft and forwardly of the engine into which the shaftextends, the driving member being operatively held on the supportingmember at a point spaced from the shaft and extending to a positiongenerally forwardly of said mounting means; and gearing mounted on thesupporting member interconnecting the rotatable shaft and the drivingmember, said mounting means including a pair of spaced arms dependingfrom the engine, and the driving member is located forwardly of thespace bounded by said arms.

7. In an engine adapted to be mounted on a Wheeled vehicle and includingmounting means therefor, a casing, a rotatable shaft therein and adriving member driven by the shaft and adapted to make driving contactwith a wheel on said vehicle for propelling the same, power transmittingapparatus, comprising: a supporting member extending generally laterallyof the shaft and forwardly of the engine into which the shaft extends,the driving member being operatively held on the supporting member at apoint spaced from the shaft and extending to a position generallyforwardly of said mounting means; and gearing mounted on the supportingmember interconnecting the rotatable shaft and the driving member, saidmounting means including a pair of spaced arms depending from theengine, and the driving member is located forwardly of the space boundedby said arms, and substantially aligned with the center of gravity ofthe engine structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSEvinrude Feb. 25, 1936 Bannan Apr. 7, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr.25, 1931 Austria Nov. 17, 1924

